No-kill animal shelters more popular today

The MetroWest Humane Society in Ashland is a bright, cheerful, three-story house with rooms full of cats. It’s a place where the “no kill” shelter movement has taken root, part of the transformation in the treatment of unwanted animals in Massachusetts and across the country.

Marlene Simmons, shelter manager of the MetroWest Humane Society, is part of the movement. In this photo she is looking through the skylight in the feral cat part of the shelter to see what one of the cats is looking at. They hang birdfeeders outside the windows, and the cats there have their own community on the third floor of the building.
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Michele McDonald for The Boston Globe

Ashland

Simmons estimated that about four cats had been euthanized in the past 10 months, including two who were well into their teen years and had kidney failure. About 350 or more are adopted each year.

Some tension remains between the no-kill advocates and those who run what are known as “open-admission’’ shelters, which do not turn animals away but have a much higher rate of euthanasia.

Workers in open-admission shelters point out that they take in all animals, including the young and old, healthy and sick. They sometimes point out that no-kill shelters turn away more animals than they take in because of lack of space.

Michele McDonald for The Boston Globe

Zee is one of two brothers ready to be adopted. Simmons calls them the "cow" cats because of their coloring.
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Michele McDonald for The Boston Globe

P.J. is another one of the kittens hanging out in the kitten room waiting to be adopted at the MetroWest Humane Society.
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George Rizer for The Boston Globe

At a small building in Brockton swarming with dogs inside and out, the once-controversial “no-kill’’ shelter movement has taken root, part of the transformation in the treatment of unwanted animals in Massachusetts and across the country.

Pictured: Blue Dog Shelter, located within J.M. Pet Resort, in Brockton
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George Rizer for The Boston Globe

The Blue Dog Shelter, a nonprofit animal shelter, does not euthanize its dogs unless they are gravely ill or their aggressive behavior cannot be changed. The shelter operator said she tries to get all its dogs adopted; one has even stayed for years.

Pictured: Mikey, a boxer/pit bull mix. Behind him at left is Blue, the first dog ever at this shelter and hence the name of the place.
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George Rizer for The Boston Globe

Blue Dog is a small part of the “no kill” movement, which started as a reaction to common shelter practices years ago. Then, large numbers of saveable, adoptable animals were euthanized by shelters, often after a short time, for space reasons. Most no-kill shelters say that at least 90 percent of the animals taken in are adopted.

Pictured: List of current shelter dogs on the wall inside the kennel
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George Rizer for The Boston Globe

Jeni Mather, the founder and director of Blue Dog Shelter, estimated she euthanizes about 10 dogs a year. She has had about 1,300 dogs adopted since 2000, she said. The average dog stays about three months, but others stay a year or longer before they are adopted.

“When we make a really good adoption,” said Mather. “It is like magic. . . . It makes me feel really good.”

Pictured: Blueberry, a pit bull who was rescued in July 2012 after being kept in squalor and abused, has made big strides during rehabilitation.
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George Rizer for The Boston Globe

Since the no-kill shelter movement began increasing in popularity, the number of animals euthanized nationally has dropped dramatically — by one estimate, from about 15 million in 1970 to 3.4 million. The drop-off was aided by aggressive programs to educate the public about spaying or neutering and sophisticated animal adoption marketing.

Pictured: Mather with Dixie, a Malinois mix and a ten year resident of the shelter
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George Rizer for The Boston Globe

Renewed interest in animal welfare comes as the state revealed the success of a program financed by the public that has raised about $250,000 for the spaying, neutering, and vaccination of homeless animals by private and public organizations.

Massachusetts has about 270 animal shelters registered with the state, although it is not clear how many call themselves no-kill shelters or how many animals they take in or adopt out. Data in Massachusetts is scarce because it is not collected by the state. Most appear to be no-kill shelters, and many are small and run on tiny budgets.

Pictured: Bailey, Max and Rocket, all shelter dogs, during their field trip to a nearby frozen yogurt shop
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George Rizer for The Boston Globe

“It is extremely exciting to see a movement that 15 years ago was seen as radical or fringe or hopelessly optimistic, turned into a movement that is not just gaining traction but is becoming mainstream,” said Nathan Winograd, the director of the No Kill Advocacy Center, a San Francisco-nonprofit.

Pictured: Mather in one of the many outdoor play areas for regular client dogs and several shelter dogs
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Michele McDonald for The Boston Globe

Ashland, MA 9/11/13 These cats are in the room for semi-feral cats—volunteers work with them and many of them will become adoptable cats. Marlene Simmons, shelter manager of the MetroWest Humane Society, is part of the no-kill movement that seeks to place animals for adoption, rather than euthanize them. (Michele McDonald for The Boston Globe)
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